


Art is so Hard

by Dorianssecretlibrary



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cullen's Mabari, Digital Art, Drinking, Eventual Smut, Fluff, M/M, Mabari, Modern Era, Modern Thedas, Sass, Slow Build, The focus is manly on Cullen and Dorian, bi cullen, mentions of Hawke and Varric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-21
Updated: 2016-02-06
Packaged: 2018-04-22 19:03:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4846784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dorianssecretlibrary/pseuds/Dorianssecretlibrary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I’m a traditional painter who has to take a basic Photoshop class, you’re a graphic design major sitting next to me and getting sucked into helping me out because I’m so terrible at this” AU<br/>- tofixtheshadows – dailyau</p><p>Cullen is a basic painter, Dorian winds up helping him. </p><p>rated for later chapters</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> friendly reminder that I don't have a beta and I do most of my writing at night, so there are probably going to be grammatical mistakes. If you see any, feel free to point them out to me in the comments. Hope you enjoy this.

Cullen was desperately trying to follow along with what the teacher was saying. The Professor was speeding through everything since _all of us must already know how to do everything because it’s our generation_. Not everyone learned how to use Photoshop. Cullen certainly had no idea what he was doing. He had a drawing tablet, but he didn’t know how to use it or Photoshop. ‘ _What do all of these things even mean? Which one is the brush and how do I change sizes?’_ He must have looked as helpless as he felt since the guy sitting next to him leaned over and started helping him.

“Have you ever used Photoshop before?” Dorian asked.

“No. Never.” Cullen admitted.

Dorian let out a small sigh. “Okay, let me help you get started then.” He said, moving closer to Cullen so he could show him how to use everything.

Cullen felt his cheeks heat up slightly, partially from needed Dorian’s help in the first place, and the other from how close they were right now. Dorian explained where his tools were and how to change his brush size. Luckily they were sitting towards the back of the classroom, so the professor couldn’t hear them.

“That should be enough to get you started.” Dorian commented. “I’m Dorian by the way.”

“Cullen.” He replied, a small smile playing on his lips. “And thank you, Dorian.”

“If you need any more help later, I’ll see what I can do.” Dorian said before moving back to his own computer.

Cullen definitely felt like he understood how to use this better. He still didn’t know most of its functions, but he at least new where to start. What was the assignment again? He looked up at the board. Make a simple sketch, color it, and email it to the Professor. That didn’t seem too difficult. Cullen thought about what he should draw for a moment and decided to try to draw his dog.

Dorian was mostly done with his own drawing and decided to check on Cullen. He moved his chair so he could glance over at Cullen’s screen. Nothing seemed terribly out of the ordinary at first, and Cullen wasn’t that bad, considering this was most certainly his first time using a drawing pad. He seemed to be drawing some sort of dog. It wasn’t until he noticed Cullen try to erase something that he realized something was _very wrong_.

Dorian looked positively horrified. “ _Why are you doing everything on the same layer_?” He questioned.

Cullen glanced over at Dorian and then stared blankly at his computer. “I don’t understand the question.” He replied. 

“ _Maker’s breath_ , look.” Dorian said, moving over to Cullen’s computer and opening a few layers. “You use layers to make lines or add color, so you can erase one layer without erasing any of the other layers.”

“Oh.” Cullen mumbled rubbing the back of his neck. He could feel a light blush spread across his cheeks.

“I suppose I should have mentioned it earlier.” Dorian acknowledged. He knew Cullen had no idea what he was doing, so he shouldn’t have been so brief with him.

A small smile played on Cullen’s lips. “Well, I think I know what to do now, so thanks.”

Dorian could feel his lip start to curl upright. “You’re very welcome.” He replied. “If you have time after class, I can show you how to use it in more detail.”

“I’d like that.” Cullen replied. “Did you have anywhere specific in mind?”

“Hmm, there’s a café that’s not far from here.” Dorian suggested.

“Sounds good to me.” Cullen replied.

“Good, then we’ll leave as soon as class gets out.” Dorian stated.


	2. Coffee?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They get coffee and talk and stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am having so much writers block. I'm really sorry. I'm going to try to write more. Also I haven't checked for errors yet, so sorry if there are any.

Their professor let them go a few minutes early. Cullen put his drawing pad away and waited for Dorian to pack up his laptop. Cullen let Dorian lead the way to the café; they had decided to walk since it was just across the street from their campus. The café itself was small, and it had h a modern look to it. It wasn’t terribly crowded when they got there, but it definitely seemed to be a popular spot. Cullen decided to get a latte, and Dorian’s drink was so complicated Cullen wasn’t sure if he’d _actually_ ordered coffee or not.

When they got their drinks Dorian picked out a booth for them to sit at. Cullen sat down first, scooting over to the end of his seat so Dorian would have room to sit next to him.

Dorian sat down and pulled his laptop out, opening Photoshop. He then explained all of the different tools to Cullen, showing him how or why he would use them. Luckily Cullen was a fast learner and easily picked up how to use each tool.

“Does any of that make sense to you?” Dorian asked, turning away from the screen to look at Cullen.

“Yes, it makes a lot of sense now.” Cullen replied. “Thanks again for your help.”

“You’re very welcome.” Dorian replied. There was a small pause in their conversation before Dorian decided to speak again. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, why did you take a Photoshop class in the first place?” Dorian asked.

“I’m an Art Major, but I’m a traditional painter. I’ve never really needed to use Photoshop until it became a required class.” Cullen explained.

“You paint?” Dorian questioned.

“Yeah, I guess I’m a bit old fashioned.” Cullen replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

Dorian mentally scolded himself for his phrasing. “ _And there’s nothing wrong with that_. I just haven’t met many painters.” Dorian explained.

Cullen seemed to relax a bit, a small smile returning to his face.

“What do you like to paint?” Dorian questioned.

“Landscapes and still life’s mostly.” Cullen replied. “But I’ve also done a few portraits.”

Dorian hummed. “Well, now you’ve certainly peaked my curiosity.” He remarked. “One of these days you must show me some of your works.”

A small smile played on Cullen’s lips. “I’m sure that could be arranged.”

“You know, I tried to have my portrait done once, but they couldn’t quite capture my _charm_ or _dashing good looks_. _Not to say they didn’t make a valiant effort_.” Dorian mused.

Cullen chuckled. “I’m sure they did their best to do you justice. _It’s just so hard to capture perfection_.” He teased.

Dorian smiled. “I know, but it’s a burden I must bear.” Dorian remarked

“I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for you.” Cullen retorted.

Before Dorian could respond his phone went off, playing some terrible pop song that his roommates put on his phone whenever one of them called him. Dorian rolled his eyes and answered the phone. “What is it _now_?” Dorian asked, clearly irritated by the interruption. “ _You **what**_?” Dorian exclaimed. He let out a heavy sigh. “I’ll be right there.” He replied before hanging up.

“I’m terribly sorry for leaving so soon, but my roommates have managed to break our sink and have apparently _flooded_ our dorm.” Dorian explained.

“It’s alright.” Cullen replied. “Maybe we can do this again sometime, when you aren’t so _preoccupied._ ”

Dorian smirked. “Yes, that sounds lovely.” He replied. “I’ll see you later then.” He added before running off, actually that really wouldn’t be described as running, it had too much grace to it. Sauntering off maybe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also Bull and Sera are Dorian's roommates.


	3. More happens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few weeks pass. Group project, work in pairs, they work together, meet at Cullen’s apartment because Bull and Sera are hard to work around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [G ] [ T] [B ] [ K ]  
> \- C ] [ W ] [ Cr ]  
> [ C ] [ _ W] [ Cr__ ] 
> 
> G = Greagoir’s bed T= Toy bin  
> Cr = Cullen’s room - = Front door  
> C= Common area W = Workplace  
> K = Kitchen B = Bathroom  
> _ = windows
> 
> Greagoir is Cullen’s mabari

 “Work in pairs to create something using either photos or your own artworks and make something that is meaningful to you. Be prepared to explain your piece when it’s finished. You have two weeks to complete this assignment. Get into pairs and begin.” Was written on the board.

“Do you want to work together?” Cullen asked, turning to face Dorian.

“ _Did you really need to ask_?” Dorian replied. “I don’t think we should work in my dorm though, my roommates can be very hard to work around.”

“We can work in my apartment.” Cullen suggested.

“That sounds perfect.” Dorian replied. “Does Saturday work for you? Say 2:00-2:30?”

“That works for me.” Cullen replied.

“Then it’s settled.” Dorian stated. “I’ll see you Saturday.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” Cullen replied.

 

Cullen kept his apartment reasonably tidy, with the exceptions of the dog toys scattered across the floor, and a few stray paint brushes lying around. Greagoir sat on the couch and watched Cullen curiously as he put all of Greagoir’s toys in a bin by his bed. Cullen picked out Greagoir’s favorite toy and tossed it to him. Greagoir happily caught it in his mouth and bit down on the squeaker inside the toy. Hopefully that would keep him from getting all of the others out again, at least for the time being. He’d figured that Dorian was the type to be fashionably late, so he had time to look around and make sure everything was in order. The sink was clean, there was no trash lying around, and Greagoir was behaving himself. Cullen opened his window, letting some light in.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Greagoir made it to the door first, waiting to see who it was. Cullen nudged him out of the way and opened the door. Before either of them could greet each other, Greagoir pushed past Cullen, jumping on Dorian, pushing him to the ground. While Cullen was used to that greeting, it took Dorian by surprise.

“ _Friend of yours_?” Dorian asked, collecting himself and petting the excited dog’s head.

“Greagoir, _heel_.” Cullen commanded, there was a certain level of sternness in his voice. The mabari moved off of Dorian, sitting down in front of them and wagging his tail. “Sorry, he’s usually better behaved than this.”  Cullen added, extending his hand to help Dorian up.

“He certainly seems _friendly_.” Dorian remarked, taking Cullen’s hand and getting back to his feet. “Though I’m glad to see that he listens to you, he’s already better behaved than my roommates.”

“He shouldn’t give you any more trouble.” Cullen stated. He turned to glare at Greagoir who gave Cullen a pitiful look before running over to his bed.

“So, shall we begin?” Dorian asked, stepping into the apartment.

“Yes, just let me go turn my computer on.” Cullen replied, closing the door and walking to his room. “It might take a minute or two to start up, so you can look around if you want.”

Dorian nodded and started wandering around the apartment. It was a tad on the small size, but it was still bigger than Dorian’s dorm. Overall the apartment seemed rather tidy, especially for college student standards. He walked over to what appeared to be Cullen’s art studio. There was an easel with a blank canvas in the middle of the room, and there was small table near it with paints neatly placed in a box, along with a folded white smock that had a few paint stains on it. Dorian felt the corner of his lip start to curve as he noticed a few paintbrushes laying on the windowsill. He noted that Cullen seemed to leave his finished canvases against the wall. There were quite a few of them. Dorian couldn’t help but look through some of them. Cullen seemed to have an Impressionistic art style when he painted. Dorian noticed a portrait of a young woman with long blonde curly hair and pale skin. Cullen seemed to have put a lot of effort into this one. Dorian began to wonder if it was an old girlfriend of Cullen’s, or maybe a current one, it had to be someone close to him. He was so lost in thought that he hadn’t heard Cullen walk up behind him.

“Looking for anything in particular?” Cullen asked.

Dorian nearly jumped, _nearly_. He was quick to compose himself again. “I wanted to see some of your works.” Dorian replied.

Cullen looked over Dorian’s shoulder to see which one he’d been looking at. He smiled fondly. “That one’s my sister, Mia.” He stated. “I’ve been meaning to send it to her but I haven’t found the time.”

Dorian couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved to hear that, though he still knew better than to hope. Just because the painting wasn’t an old girlfriend didn’t change the fact that Cullen was probably straight. “I suppose I can see the family resemblance.” Dorian stated.

Cullen smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. There was a small pause in the conversation before Cullen said, “My computer’s on if you want to get started.”

Dorian nodded. “Yes, let’s.” He replied, walking past Cullen and making his way into Cullen’s room.

Cullen’s room was small, but quaint. It was also kept surprisingly clean. Dorian noticed that Cullen had a small bookshelf filled with some decent literature, though Dorian personally preferred reading about history over fiction. He also noted that Cullen had a chessboard sitting on his nightstand. Cullen’s bed was a full size, and the sheets were neatly tucked. He noted that one of Cullen’s pillows was pink, purple and blue striped. He idly wondered if it was supposed to be a bi flag, or if it was just a coincidence. Dorian then decided to go back to looking at Cullen’s books for now and not think too much about it.

Cullen was in tow behind him. He leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed against his chest as he watched Dorian inspect his room. A small smirk played on his lips as he watched Dorian move to inspect his books.

Dorian ran his fingers along the spines of the books, getting a closer look at what they actually were. He had to concede that Cullen had pretty good taste in literature. He moved to inspect the chess board. It didn’t really surprise him that Cullen had a wooden chess set.

“Do you play?” Cullen asked, his gaze still locked on Dorian.

“I do. Though I haven’t met many people who could keep the game intellectually stimulating.” Dorian remarked, turning to meet Cullen’s gaze.

“Maybe we could play later.” Cullen suggested. “I’ll try not to bore you.”

“I’m sure you can find ways to keep things interesting, though I hope you don’t mind losing.” Dorian replied.

“ _Is that a challenge_?” Cullen asked, a small grin tugged at the corner of his lips.

“That would imply that you have a chance against me.” Dorian remarked.

“Is that so?” Cullen replied. He was going to enjoy playing Dorian later, and thoroughly beating him.

“Yes, I’m afraid it is.” Dorian retorted. “But before that, we should at least figure out what we should do for this project.”

Cullen nodded and walked over to his computer. “Did you have anything in mind?” He asked.

Dorian thought about it for a moment. “You could paint something, and I could try to replicate it digitally through Photoshop, maybe in pixel art or something, the details can be worked out later. We can photograph your original work and incorporate what I make into it.” Dorian stated. “Or we can do something entirely different if you’d prefer not to do that.”

“It sounds interesting.” Cullen replied.  “I think that would work.”

“Oh course it would work, it was _my_ idea.” Dorian stated.

Cullen smirked. “Yes, _sorry_. I had forgotten for a moment that everything you do is _perfect_. I’ll try to keep that in mind.” He retorted.

Dorian rolled his eyes. “Yes, you should.” He remarked.

Cullen opened a word document and wrote down the idea so they wouldn’t forget it later. “Do you have any idea _what_ it is we should be making?” He asked.

“I don’t know yet. We’ll have to wait for inspiration to hit.” Dorian replied.

“Until then,” Cullen replied as he saved his document. “Would you still like to play chess?”

“So long as you prepared to lose.” Dorian replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School work and writers block have been sort of hard to work around. I'll still try to regularly update this. Also sorry if there are any mistakes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chess happens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if there are any grammatical errors, I write everything really late at night.

Cullen got up and walked past Dorian to get his chess set. “We can play over here.” Cullen stated, bringing it out to his common area. He set it down on the table. Dorian had followed him out.

“What color would you like to be?” Cullen asked.

“Black.”  Dorian replied, moving to sit down.

“Afraid to go first?” Cullen questioned, moving to sit across from Dorian.

Dorian chuckled. “No, but I thought it’d be polite to let you make the first move. It’s your set after all.” He replied, leaning back against his chair.

“ _How kind of you_.” Cullen replied, a small grin tugged at the corner of his lips. He looked over the board and made his first move. 

Cullen had considered letting the game drag on until he’d captured all of Dorian pieces, but he decided that would just be overkill. Cullen noted that half way through the game Dorian had begun to cheat, probably because he didn’t see any other way to win, which was a shame because Dorian didn’t need to cheat. He could tell that Dorian wasn’t a bad player, his confidence had been well placed, Cullen was just better. He almost felt bad seeing how frustrated and defeated Dorian was by the last few rounds of the game, _almost_. Cullen moved his rook, cornering Dorian’s king into check mate.

“I believe I’ve won.” Cullen remarked, looking across the table to Dorian.

“Yes, it seems you have.” Dorian conceded.

“Where did your confidence go?” Cullen questioned.

“I can assure you it’s still here. Though I will concede that I underestimated you, a mistake that I won’t make again.” Dorian replied, looking across the table to Cullen.

“Does that mean you want to play another round?” Cullen asked.

“Yes, it does.” Dorian replied, setting up the board.

 

It was rare to find someone who could humble him like that. Dorian had met very few people who were decent enough to attempt to play him in chess, but they were nowhere near as talented as Cullen. He wasn’t actually sure if he _could_ beat Cullen. _At least not fairly_. He was also fairly certain that Cullen had seen him cheat, though he didn’t say anything about it. His sleight of hand was a bit rusty.

He watched as Cullen made his first move, then looked at his own pieces before choosing to move a pawn. This was actually fun, now that he knew what he was in for. Playing with Cullen was a challenge, and this time he didn’t intend to lose. He decided to strike up a conversation while they played, if he was lucky maybe Cullen might even slip up, though he really doubted that.

“Where did you learn to play like this?” Dorian asked.

“I played against my siblings.” He replied. “I also played on my high school’s team.”

Dorian looked up from the board to gaze at Cullen. “You played in high school?” Dorian questioned, folding his arms and raising a brow.

“You seem surprised.” Cullen remarked, moving a piece and then turning his gaze to Dorian.

“You just don’t look like the type of person to play on a school chess team.” Dorian replied, moving his rook across the board.

“Then what do I look like?” Cullen questioned.

“ _Someone attractive_.” Dorian replied. “You’re far too good looking to look like you’ve played on a chess team. I would have expected you to have played football or some other sport, though I suppose that would be stereotyping, wouldn’t it? I shouldn’t have made any assumptions.” He admitted.

Cullen smirked. “You aren’t the first to assume I’ve played football. The closest I came to playing sports at my school was the team sports class I took.” He commented, moving his piece to capture Dorian’s horse. “I was also the captain of the chess team my senior year.”

“ _Captain_? That’s a nice title you’ve earned.” Dorian teased, moving his bishop to take one of Cullen’s pawns and setting himself up to take Cullen’s queen.

Cullen rolled his eyes. “I also won the national competition for our school.” He remarked, moving his queen to a safer position.

“That is actually very impressive.” Dorian conceded. “I don’t feel as bad having lost to you now.” He remarked, moving one of his pawns.

Cullen moved his rook to take Dorian’s bishop. “That’s good, because it’s a feeling you’re going to have to get used to.”

Dorian smirked. “Don’t get cocky just yet.” He replied, moving his horse to take one of Cullen’s rooks.

The game lasted a little more than an hour, and Cullen had beaten him again, but it hadn’t been as one sided as their last game.

“Do you have anything to drink?” Dorian asked.

“There are a few beers in the fridge.” Cullen replied. “I’ll get you one.” He said, getting up and walking over to his fridge. He returned a few moments later with two beers, handing one to Dorian.

Dorian smiled and took the beer. He twisted off the cap, looking at it before taking a sip. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised you drink Ferelden.” He remarked.

“Something wrong with it?” Cullen questioned.

“Besides the fact that it’s Ferelden?” Dorian retorted.

“You don’t have to drink it.” Cullen replied.

“Now that would just be a waste.” Dorian remarked. “Though later I think I’m going to have to take you to get a real drink.”

Cullen rolled his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. “Did you have some place in mind?” He questioned.

“I do.” Dorian replied. “There’s a nice Antivan restaurant in town. Their wine is almost as good as Tevinter wine.”

“I trust that you know what you’re talking about.” Cullen replied. “When did you want to go?”

“Are you free tomorrow evening?” Dorian asked.

“I am.” Cullen replied.

Before Dorian could suggested a more specific time, his phone went off, a familiar and irritating song played as he pulled his phone out and answered it. He really needed to take the time to change it to something else. “Is this important?” He asked. He furrowed his brow and let out a heavy sigh. “I’ll be right there.” He replied before hanging up.

“Is everything alright?” Cullen asked.

“Well, _nothing’s broken_ this time, but it appears that I have to go to a dorm meeting, so I should probably get going.” Dorian replied.

Cullen nodded. 

Dorian stood in the door, looking back at Cullen. “I’ll see you tomorrow then for our date.” He stated. He was smirking, but his eyes were uncertain. He’d tightened his grip on the door, ready to close it behind himself and flee.

Cullen smiled. “I’ll come by the dorms and pick you up at 8.” He replied, walking over to Dorian, only a few inches away from his face.

With that, Dorian moved in to fill the space between them for a chaste kiss. “I’ll make the reservation.” He stated. After that he moved back and turned to go. “Don’t be late.” He added before leaving.

Cullen felt his cheeks begin to flush and rubbed the back of his neck. He stood in the doorway as he watched Dorian leave. He couldn’t help the dumb grin he had on his face as he thought about their date.


	5. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cullen picks Dorian up for their date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a long chapter to make up for taking so long to update.
> 
> Also I haven't really gotten to edit this, so sorry if there are any mistakes. I'm going to reread it later and try to get ride of any mistakes I might have made.

Cullen stepped out of his shower and grabbed his towel to dry off. He wiped the steam away from his mirror and ran his fingers through his curls. It may have taken him a few years and more than a dozen different products, but he’d figured out how to tame his hair. Once every curl was in place, he walked over to his closest and tried to pick out an outfit.

The problem being that he wasn’t sure how formal he wanted to be. They were going to a restaurant, but he didn’t know how fancy the restaurant was. He definitely didn’t want to dress too casually, but at the same time, he didn’t want to dress overly formal for their first date. Cullen paced back and forth, rubbing the back of his neck. If he knew the name of the restaurant, then he could just look it up and see how fancy it was, but Dorian had been vague about it, besides that it was Antivan, Cullen knew next to nothing about it. After going back and forth for twenty minutes Cullen finally decided on his outfit. He wore a red long sleeve dress shirt that he rolled up to his elbows and black dress pants. He had debated on whether or not to wear a black vest, but he figured he might look like a prom date if he wore that, so he opted to leave it behind.

He went back to his bathroom and put on some of his cologne. Cullen was ready much earlier than he needed to be, two hours earlier. While he waited, he started pacing around his apartment, rubbing the back of his neck. He couldn’t help it, he was nervous. He really wanted tonight to go well. Gregoir gave him a confused bark as he watched Cullen walk back and forth, which snapped Cullen out of his daze. He walked over to Gregoir, who was sitting on the couch and pet the top of Gregoir’s head. “Sorry boy, just nervous.” Gregoir wagged his tale and seemed to give Cullen an encouraging bark. Cullen relaxed a bit as he pet Gregoir.

When it was time to leave, Cullen grabbed his leather jacket and got into his truck and drove over to the dorms. It was a little chilly out tonight, but the traffic wasn’t bad. When Cullen arrived at the dorms, he texted Dorian, asking which room he was, so he could come get him. Dorian texted back rather quickly and gave him his room number. Another dorm resident let Cullen inside the dorms, and he went up to Dorian’s room. Dorian lived on the first floor, so it wasn’t that difficult to find.

As Cullen approached Dorian’s dorm he felt his stomach start to do flips and his muscles start to tense up. He took a deep breath and moved to knock on the door. It was answered almost immediately, but not by Dorian, by a very large qunari and blonde elven girl.

“You here for Dorian?” The qunari asked.

“I am.” Cullen managed to reply.

“You must be the one he won’t shut up about” Sera quipped.

“Well, I don’t know about that.” Cullen replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

“So, have you ridden his _bologna pony_?” Sera asked. “Dorian won’t spill.”

“ _E-Excuse me_?” Cullen questioned, trying to process what he was just asked. When he put two and two together, he could feel a familiar shade of pink spread across his cheeks.

“Wait, have you guys really not fucked yet?” Bull asked.

“I.. no.. we-” Cullen fumbled over his words. Visibly flustered by the whole conversation.

“Do-” Sera began before she was cut off.

“Out, out, both of you.” Dorian said, shooing Bull and Sera Away from the door.

Cullen felt his muscles start to relax when he heard Dorian. _Seeing_ Dorian was another thing; he looked stunning. He was wearing black pants with a purple dress shirt with a few of the top buttons undone, exposing his collar bone, complimented by a black leather jacket. Cullen had to mentally stop his jaw from dropping. Dorian’s was somehow even more perfect than usual. And as Dorian moved closer to Cullen, he could smell Dorian’s cologne, and Maker it was heavenly. Cullen knew that he was still visibly flustered, but if Dorian noticed, he didn’t say anything about it.

“Sorry about that, let’s get going shall we.” Dorian suggested, stepping out of his dorm and closing the door behind him.

Cullen nodded and walked with Dorian out of the building.

“I truly am sorry about my roommates,” Dorian stated as they made their way to Cullen’s car. “Bull and Sera can be very _invasive_ when they want to be.”

Cullen rubbed the back of his neck. “ _I can believe that_.” He commented. “Thanks, by the way, for saving me back there.”

A grin tugged at the corner of Dorians lips. “You’re very welcome.” Dorian replied. “I’m just glad I stopped them before their questions became more _detailed_.”

A shade of pink spread across Cullen’s cheeks. “Yes, you do seem to have perfect timing.” He remarked.

When they got to Cullen’s truck, he walked over to the passenger side and held the door open for Dorian. Once Dorian was in, Cullen closed the door and went around to his side. He noticed Dorian rubbing his hands together as he got into the car.

“Cold?” Cullen asked as he turned on the car as well as the heater.

“ _Yes_.” Dorian stated. “It’s far too cold down here. I don’t know how anyone can stand it.”

“It’s barely even snowing.” Cullen retorted. “And I believe most people just wear thick jackets.”

Dorian rolled his eyes.

“Do you know how to get to this place?” Cullen questioned.

“Yes, hold on one moment.” Dorian said, pulling the directions up on his phone.

Once he knew where he was going, Cullen started driving. They fell into a silence. It wasn’t an awkward silence though. It was actually quite nice.

“It suits you” Dorian stated, deciding to break the silence.

“What does?” Cullen asked.

“The shirt.” Dorian replied, running his fingers over fabric covering Cullen’s arm. “Red looks good on you.”

Cullen smiled, and he could feel a light blush begin to spread across his cheeks. “Thanks.” He replied, keeping his eyes on the road. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you earlier, you look nice tonight.” Cullen mentioned.

“ _I look nice every night_.” Dorian stated. “But thank you.”

“You _do_ look good every night, but tonight you look _stunning_.” Cullen replied. “I mean it.” He added, before Dorian could make some dismissive quip.

Cullen couldn’t exactly see Dorian’s reaction, but he didn’t say anything for a few moments. Cullen was starting to wonder if he’d said the wrong thing. When they got to a red light Cullen looked over at Dorian. If he didn’t know any better he’d say that Dorian was blushing, though it was difficult to tell with Dorian’s tanned skin.

Dorian cleared his throat. “Yes, well, thank you.” He said, looking out the window.

Cullen couldn’t stop the dopy grin that spread across his face as he turned back to look at the road. Dorian might be a confident man, but he looked so endearing when he was given a genuine compliment.

It wasn’t too long a drive before they had reached the restaurant. Cullen found a spot reasonably close to the door, and turned the car off. When they got out of the car, Cullen turned to Dorian and asked, “Can I hold your hand?” A small blush crept across his cheeks. He wasn’t sure how Dorian felt about pda, so he wanted to ask.

Normally, Dorian would have said no, but looking at Cullen, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead he just nodded and took Cullen’s hand.

When they got inside Dorian didn’t let go of his hand. Dorian had reserved nice seats by the window. When they were seated, Dorian let go of Cullen’s hand. Their waitress gave them their menus and left, so they could take a moment to decide what they wanted to get.

“I’ll let you order the wine.” Cullen stated. “I believe your tastes are a little more _refined_ than mine.”

Dorian smirked, looking at Cullen from across the table. “That they are, _though that isn’t restricted to wines.”_ He retorted. He looked over the menu of wines that they had, and ordered something Antivan that Cullen had never heard of.

Cullen looked over the menu, there were a few dishes that he was familiar with. Cullen decided to go with Paella de Marisco and Dorian ordered Sopa de Atun y Gambas.

When their waitress came back they ordered, and she took the menus back with her as she left.

There was a silence that feel between them. After a moment Cullen decided to break it. “Is Sera actually one of your roommates?” He questioned. “I thought the dorms were gendered.”

“They are, and she’s not _officially_ my roommate, though she might as well be, since she’s there so often.” Dorian explained.

“How’d you guys meet?” Cullen asked.

“Sera and I meet at actually meet at some gay bar, and I don’t remember when, but at some point she introduced me to ‘the Iron Bull.”

“Is that actually his name?” Cullen questioned.

“Yes, I believe he had it legally changed to that. I have no idea what it was before.” Dorian explained.

“They seemed rather _lively_.” Cullen commented.

“ _They are_.” Dorian replied. “Though occasionally, they’re almost tolerable.”

Cullen chuckled. “I used to have roommates like that.” He stated. “When I lived in the dorms.”

“Oh really?” Dorian implored.

“Hawke and Varric.” Cullen clarified. “They were very.. eccentric.”

“I think I’ve actually heard of them.” Dorian mentioned. “They have quite the reputation at parties.”

“Most of that is probably exaggerated, but based on truth.” Cullen commented. “Though I can’t say that I don’t prefer living on my own to rooming with them.”

“Why’s that?” Dorian asked.

“Because I couldn’t really get any work done with them around.” Cullen explained. “I’d usually need to go somewhere else to do homework or paint.”

“I suppose I can see why you moved out.” Dorian stated.

Before their conversation could continue, their waitress brought them their food, along with a bottle of wine. She uncorked the wine and left it on the table before leaving.

Dorian grinned and poured himself and Cullen a glass.

“Now this is much better than that Fereldan slosh you had at your apartment.” Dorian remarked, taking a sip from his glass.

Cullen smiled and rolled his eyes. He took a sip from his glass. It _was_ better. “You aren’t wrong.” Cullen commented.

“I never am.” Dorian retorted.

Cullen snorted. “ _Sure_.” He stated.

“Alright, I _hardly_ even am.” Dorian corrected. “Is that better?”

“Yes.” Cullen replied. “Very accurate.”

Dorian rolled his eyes. “Why don’t we start eating before are food gets cold?” Dorian suggested.

“Sounds good to me.” Cullen replied, trying his Paella de Marisco. The food here was incredible. Cullen might not have had the most _refined_ palate, but he knew when something was made really well. As Cullen looked around, he noted that the atmosphere of the restaurant was nice as well. During their meal they finished the first bottle of wine, and moved onto another. They fell into a peaceful silence as they ate.

Dorian was the first to break the silence. “How’s your meal?” He asked.

“Mine’s perfect.” Cullen replied. “What about yours?”

“Not quite as good as Tevinter cuisine, but they do manage to make good food here.” Dorian replied.

“It seems like everything from Tevinter is superior.” Cullen commented.

“Most of the time, that’s true.” Dorian stated.

“Well if all men there look like you, I’m inclined to agree.” Cullen remarked.

“Sadly, not everyone can look as good as me.” Dorian returned.

“You _are_  one of a kind.” Cullen stated.

“I can assure you, my ego needs no boosting.” Dorian commented.

“I’m just stating facts.” Cullen retorted.

Dorian chuckled, and his laugh sounded genuine. Cullen wished he could hear it more often. When Dorian relaxed and let his walls down, he was absolutely captivating. Dorian’s smile, his real smile, not the calculated ones that he used to mask his emotions, was beautiful. Cullen hoped that he’d be able to see it more often.

When they had finished eating, Cullen insisted on paying the check. Dorian allowed it, so long as he could be the one to leave the tip.

Cullen held Dorian’s hand as they walked out of the restaurant. “I’d love to paint you.” Cullen mentioned.

“Do you think you’re capable of capturing perfection?” Dorian asked.

“I think I can do you justice.” Cullen replied.

“Let’s go back to your place then.” Dorian replied. “No need to give Sera and Bull another chance to question you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to update this more often. I've been busy with school and family, but I should be able to update more often now.
> 
> If you have any critiques, things you think should be added, or if you really liked it, please feel free to comment and let me know.
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are probably some grammatical errors in this, so sorry in advance.

Once they were in the car, Cullen made sure to turn on the heater so Dorian wouldn’t freeze. He felt comfortable driving home, since Dorian had had most of the wine. However, he found it difficult to not let himself get distracted by the beautiful man sitting next to him, but he made sure to keep his eyes on the road.

When they got back to Cullen’s apartment, he parked and helped Dorian out of the car. He was glad to see that Dorian could still walk on his own. They reached Cullen’s apartment and he unlocked the door, letting Dorian inside first, then following him in.

Cullen managed to turn the lights on before Gregoir jumped on him, barking happily and wagging his tail. Cullen smiled and pet his head. “I’m glad to see you too.” He cooed. “And try to behave yourself.” He added, giving Gregoir a sterner look. When Cullen stopped petting him, Gregoir went and laid down in his dog bed, laying on top of his toys.

Cullen turned to face Dorian, who was sitting on the couch, and not even trying to hide the fact that he was looking him over. Cullen felt a familiar shade of pink start to spread across his cheeks. He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’ll take me a few minutes to set everything up.” He stated.

Dorian smiled, leaning back against the couch and letting his eyes meet Cullen’s. “Take your time.” He replied.

Cullen went over to his paints, getting everything in order. He collected all of his brushes and put a blank canvas on his easel. Cullen got a glass of water and set it on his stool.

“I’m ready if you are.” Cullen stated, looking over at Dorian.

“I believe I am.” Dorian replied, “Though I do have one question. How should I pose for this?”

“Well, you’re beautiful from all angles, so it really doesn’t matter.” Cullen replied. “Just pick something comfortable, since you might need to hold it for a while.”

Dorian grinned and walked over to Cullen. “Well I’m sure I’ll think of _something_ , until then, I think I’d like another drink before we get started.”

“Yeah, sure.” Cullen replied, walking over to his fridge and getting Dorian and himself a beer. “I hope you’ll forgive me for only having ‘ _Fereldan slosh’_ ” He quipped, handing one of the beers to Dorian.

“I suppose I can forgive you _this time_ , but only because you’re so pretty.” Dorian replied, taking a sip of his beer and grimacing at the taste.

Cullen smiled, rolling his eyes. He took a sip of his beer and walked back over to his easel.

“Maybe you could pose on the couch.” Cullen suggested. “I think it would be more comfortable than standing.” He wasn’t really sure how long it would take him to paint Dorian, but if he was going to ‘ _capture perfection’_ it was going to take some time.

Dorian hummed. “Alright, I think I can work with that.” He replied.

“You know, I love your shirt. Though I think I’d love you even more out of it.” Cullen stated. His voice didn’t falter, but his body betrayed him as a blush began to spread across his cheeks. Dorian seemed to have an amused grin on his face, but when Dorian didn’t say anything, Cullen felt like he’d said the wrong thing. “I’m sorry, that was a bit forward of me.”

“Don’t be,” Dorian replied, looking over at Cullen. “It will keep things, _interesting_.” He stated, as he moved to take off his shirt. He made a show of each button he undid before finally letting the fabric slip from his shoulders and fall to the floor.

Cullen couldn’t help but let his eyes wander over Dorian’s skin. He wasn’t expecting Dorian to be as muscular as he was, though he wasn’t complaining. He found himself having a hard time pulling his eyes away.

Dorian wore a knowing smirk as he sauntered over to the couch, knowing Cullen’s eyes were still lingering on him. He set his beer down beside the couch, and moved to lay down on his back. He had one arm resting under his head while the other was draped across his stomach. One of his knees was bent, while the other laid flat against the couch. He was captivating.  

As Cullen began painting, he noticed Dorian’s expression change slightly. He seemed to have relaxed, and his wry grin had become a warm smile. Cullen did his best to capture that smile in his painting. Dorian normally looked gorgeous, but the way he looked now was different. It wasn’t the mask that Dorian usually wore when they were in class or out together, it was something else.

After a few hours and a couple more beers, Cullen finished. He took a step back to look over his work. He wanted to make sure there was no detail he’d left out. He noticed that he’d forgotten one thing; he added Dorian’s beauty mark, mentally scolding himself for almost missing it. With that, he seemed happy with his work, and he hoped Dorian would be too. “I’m done.” Cullen stated, looking over at Dorian.

“Good, I think my arm was starting to fall asleep.” Dorian commented, sitting up and stretching. “Can I have a look?” He asked.

“It’s not dry yet, but yeah, you can see it now.” Cullen replied.

Dorian stood up and walked over to Cullen, looking that the painting. He knew that Cullen was good, but he wasn’t expecting it to have turned out so well. He was speechless.

Cullen rubbed the back of his neck. “So.. what do you think?” He questioned.

“It’s _almost_ as good as the real thing.” Dorian replied. “I think you’ve done the impossible.”

Cullen smirked. “I’m glad you approve.” He replied.

Before Dorian could say anything else he heard his phone go off, checking it to see a few texts from both Bull and Sera. Asking how it went, and if he was coming back, which was when he noticed exactly how late it had gotten.

“Did something happen?” Cullen asked.

“No, nothing happened.” Dorian replied. “I just realized how late it was.”

Cullen looked over at his clock. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep you here so late.”

“You’re not the only one who lost track of time, Cullen.” Dorian commented. “It’s not your fault.”

“But I don’t think I’m sober enough to drive you back now.” Cullen stated, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m really sorry. You can stay the night if you want?” He added.

Dorian smirked. “I suppose I could stay the night.” He replied, moving closer to Cullen. He wrapped his arms around Cullen’s neck, and pulled him into a kiss. It was hungry, needy. Cullen wrapped his arms around Dorian’s waist, pulling him closer. He could feel Dorian run his fingers through his hair, and he let his hands travel down Dorian’s back. Cullen let his tongue slip into Dorian’s mouth; he tasted like alcohol. After a moment, the kiss was broken, and Cullen was the first to pull back, taking a moment to catch his breath, and think about what he was doing.

“Shall we move this to the bedroom?” Dorian asked.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Cullen said, letting go of Dorian and taking a step back.

“Did I do something wrong?” Dorian questioned, concern written all over his face.

“No, no it’s not that.” Cullen said, trying to reassure him. “Dorian, I can’t have sex with you like this, and not because I don’t want too, _Maker believe me I want to_ , but we’re drunk. I don’t want to take advantage of you.” He explained. “However, if you still want to do _something_ after we’ve sobered up, I’ll be more than happy to comply.” 

Dorian seemed confused by his statement, but he also seemed too tired to try to argue.

“Look, I’ll sleep on the couch and you can sleep in my room.” Cullen stated. “You can use my shower and stuff too.”

Dorian merely nodded, exhaustion starting to kick in for both of them.

“And you can borrow some of my clothes to sleep in.” Cullen offered. “Though they might be a bit big on you.”  

Cullen let Dorian shower first, and used that time to find something to change into after he showered. He grabbed an old t-shirt and some boxers, setting them on the couch before looking for a spare blanket and pillow. Dorian had finished his shower by the time Cullen had gathered what he needed. He watched as Dorian disappeared into his room, and then went back to getting himself ready for bed. He decided that he’d have do something for Dorian in the morning, to make up for tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm planing on them having sex in the next chapter. I didn't want to do it in this chapter because I didn't want their first time having sex together to be dubious consent.

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr for my fics is dorianssecretlibrary.tumblr.com so check it out if you want, and you can send me prompts (anonymously or not) if you want me to write you something :)
> 
> (Friendly reminder I don't really do sad, violence, or angst; i do more fluff and happiness and sometimes sexy times)


End file.
